A Snake in The Nest
by Marina Silvus
Summary: The matter of who her father was had never really been a problem, she knew and almost no one else did- including said father. The real problem started when he broke out of Azkaban in her third year, although Jo had to actually agree to go to Hogwarts in the first place to get to that point. She's still firmly convinced that life would have been quieter at Beauxbatons...


When you stare out the window of a moving train, everything outside the glass seems to blur into one writhing mass of color. A living impressionist painting done up in greens and blues and touched with browns and greys that blend together in the split second they catch the eye before being swept away. A mesmerizing monotony of Scottish countryside that zooms past the train carriage, the rhythmic chuffing of the engine filling up gaps in the compartment between students. Cheek pressed up against the windowpane, Josephine Garou wonders. She wonders if muggle trains are like the Hogwarts express. She wonders if her Grandmaman really will write to her every weekend, so she doesn't miss anything that might happen at home, if Grandpapa was right about her getting too caught up in school to worry as much as she is wont. If she wouldn't have quite as big a knot in her stomach if she had been able to attend Beuaxbatons Academy like she had secretly wished, but never mentioned aloud. If there were other first years who felt similar gut wrenching anxiety, instead of the anticipation and eagerness that everyone seemed to expect of anyone attending Hogwarts. But mostly she wonders if the other students who had invaded the originally empty compartment might bloody well _shut it_. Jo briefly left off her vigil by the train window to observe the invaders through shaggy dark brown bangs- so unlike her Maman and Mémé's lovely moon touched tresses.

The upper classmen had gradually filtered in after she had firmly entrenched herself by the window, at least an hour before the train left- being early was being prepared according to Grandmaman. Fortunately, after the initial murmured inquiry about the availability of the seats, they had left her alone to her thoughts. This did not, however, mean that they had felt the need to keep the original silence of the compartment, no it was filled with a happy chatter that grated on Jo's nerves. The primary culprits appeared to be a pair of girls who had already changed into school robes, theirs' were lined in a cheerful yellow and the ties knotted under their collars reminded Jo of the neighbors' bee hives. They had bustled in first and claimed two seats by the door down the bench from Jo, and had been gossiping and giggling happily since their entrance. There had been another girl, with dark curls and rather pretty face, who had been reading quietly by the door, but she had disappeared as soon as an Asian looking girl in blue had stuck her head in the compartment. On the opposite bench, a dark boy with rather impressive dreadlocks sat ensconced by an identical set of red headed boys, all three whispering and chuckling conspiratorially, ever since the twins had burst into the compartment after the train had departed. Every now and then one would gesture at a box on the dreadlocked boy's lap, and grin even more mischievously.

Still dissatisfied with the current noise level of the compartment, Jo turned back to the window, wondering how much longer she would have to suffer the sheer, unapologetic, _cheer_ saturating the compartment. She most definitely was _not _sulking, no matter what Grandpapa had said about faces and things that got stuck. She hadn't really been paying attention, more preoccupied with a last minute attempt to beg off school with Mémé. Jo snorted to herself quietly, she really should have known better than to be optimistic about that particular endeavor.

During her quick examination of the upper classmen, the landscape had become distinctly more craggy and Highland-esque. The fields and occasional tree stand replaced with rocky scrubland and the rolling hills had gained significant more roll. _Ooh lovely, now I can be bored to death watching _rocks _instead of endless fields, goodie…_

So maybe she was sulking a little, Jo conceded silently. Point to Grandpapa. With a sigh, Jo concluded that the view outside was not likely to improve in the near future, and began to debate the pros and cons of digging out a book or resuming her earlier people watching.

That was when the shrieking started.

Jo whipped her head around at the ghastly sound, a seemingly inhuman discord that continued to ring in her ears as it gradually modulated into something slightly more tolerable, that is to say girlish shouts equals parts fear and anger. Still tensed in her seat, Jo saw the two bumblebee girls pressed against the compartment door, trying to open it, scream at the three boys, and keep an eye on the creature they'd pulled out of Dreadlocks' box, all at the same time. Needless to say they seemed to be having problems multitasking. One of them finally managed to fumble open the door, and proceeded to haul her friend out behind her with a parting: "Why the bloody hell would they bring a thing like _that_ on the bloody train!?"

Silence reigned for all of a few sweet seconds before the boys burst out laughing at the dramatic exit, one of the twins practically falling off his seat with the force of his mirth. Dreadlocks gasped in a breath as he wiped a tear from his eye with one hand and continued to hold aloft the source of chaos in the other. Redhead number two seemed to reign in his amusement long enough to notice the small girl across from the trio who was sitting as though caught in a Body-Bind.

Jo stared at the hairy arthropod perched on Dreadlocks' hand and gradually allowed her muscles to relax. "Huh."

Redhead number two looked at her closer, and then shoved his foot in his twin's side, who in turn looked across the compartment from his new floor seat and then tugged at Dreadlocks' pant leg. "Look at the little firstie," Number two grinned.

"Practically forgot she was even there!" Floor-sitter chimed in.

"Ever so quiet you are."

Dreadlocks looked at her still form and then looked thoughtful for a second, in as much as one can look thoughtful with a face full of shit eating grin, "Are you going to scream too? Or can I leave Tim here out a bit longer?" He grinned cheerfully "Ya know, give anyone who comes in a nice surprise." Jo hummed noncommittally and then glanced up at the luggage racks above the boys heads. Beady eyes looked back at her.

"Oooh do you-"

"-think we scared her a bit too-"

"-much? Didn't mean too."

"You're not terrified of spiders-"

"Like our younger brother-"

"-ickle-Ronnikins-"

"-are you?"

Jo shifted her attention back to the three boys who were now all staring at her, still grinning, but managing to look slightly apprehensive at the same time. Not malicious then. Jo hummed again for a half second before cocking her head to look at the large spider still perched on Dreadlocks' left hand. Somehow it- Tim, apparently- managed to look rather disgruntled. Considering that its legs and eyes were its most prominent features, it was an impressive feat. She wondered what type of spider it was, and whether it was magical or mundane. She hadn't done much reading on insects and arachnids- magical or otherwise, so she didn't exactly have a large base knowledge to go off of.

"Shite is she okay?"

Jo realized that she had yet to answer the boys' question, and cleared her throat a little awkwardly. "I'm fine with the spider, although you might want to put it away if you fancy keeping it alive past the train ride- Mordecai likes to try stuffing new things in his beak, and he has a habit of getting out of his cage." She gestured at the rustling mass of black feathers above their heads. Dreadlocks twisted around and locked eyes on the grumpy corvid, whose attention was riveted on the spider. The other two glanced up quickly and then turn around to stare at Jo again. She cringed inwardly, was that awkward? Excessively wordy? Creepy? Too dry? This was why she didn't want to talk to other kids, did she come off as monotone or something? Why did everyone _stare _at her whenever she started talking? WHY-

Oblivious to Jo's inner panic, the twins glanced at each other quickly and grinned. Dreadlocks started coxing the spider back into its box, glancing back up at Mordecai every now and then as if he might suddenly burst forth in all his scavenger glory. "Ooooh snarky little firstie aren't you?" The redheads chorused, shite eating grins plastered across their faces.

Finished with his task Dreadlocks looked back up, "She does have a rather impressive deadpan, doesn't she?" Jo's left eye gave a minute twitch, she didn't have much experience interacting with other children, but she was fairly certain this wasn't quite the norm.

"Annnnnd now-"

"we've managed to scare-"

"her quiet again!" Floor sitter grinned, as if this were some sort of grand achievement, and stood up. " I'm George Weasley by the way," here he extended a hand, which Jo shook, still feeling rather baffled.

"And I'm his more handsome twin- Fred!" Chimed in Number two from his seat. Seeing that Dreadlocks was still preoccupied with his spider, Number Tw- Fred, definitely Fred, jerked a thumb to his left, " And that's Lee Jordan, he's secretly our other twin."

Jordan glanced up quickly and waved, giving a brief flash of teeth in a friendly grin, " 'Ello!" The silence that followed seemed to be waiting for something to fill it, the faint rustle of clothing and swifting feathers seemed to echo. Jordan's soft noise of triumph over the spider's cage seemed more a shout.

"And you are?" Floor-sitter- no his name was George- stood there grinning as if this were the most normal conversation ever. Jo cringed inside her head a second time, and successfully countered an embarrassed flush from covering her entire face.

"Oh- Jo. Jo Garou. Umm nice to meet you…"

The twin's grins were almost as blinding as they were comical, stretching out across their entire face, with Jordan's not that far behind. George sat down next to Jo and stretched his legs out between the seats- they didn't quite reach. Jo giggle softly and he shot her another silly grin. "So Miss Garou which house do you suppose you're destined for?" Here he gestured grandly at the other two boys, "Think you'll join us in Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart?"

"She's surely daring! Not even a peep over Lee's spider!" Fred chimed in.

"Hang on! Do you know-"

"About the houses yet? Or-"

"Do you need an-"

"Explanation?" The redheads chorused. They then attempted to start describing the Hogwarts House system, and all four houses, talking over each other in their enthusiasm. Jo stared, not sure if she should laugh, stop and correct them- yes she did know, thank you very much, or just ride out the chaos in silence."

"OI! Why don't you two gits let her answer for herself?" Jordan laughed and gave Jo an exaggerated wink, "We're all Third year Gryffindors, in case you hadn't caught on." Jo flashed a quick smile in thanks, and wondered how to answer. She knew where she _didn't_ want to end up, but had no real preference for the remaining houses. So she shrugged non committedly.

"I suppose I'll end up, where I end up. And yes I do know about the houses, my Maman and Grandpapa both went to Hogwarts."

"Brilliant, what were they then?"

"Fred, you can't just ask that!"

"What why not?"

"Cause its a bit rude, yeah?"

"How's that rude?"

The twins continued to argue over straight out asking for her family's house, having not recognized her surname they weren't able to make any guided guesses, was rude or not, while Jordan just smiled at Jo, ignoring the confrontation with ease. Jo smiled back, "Are they always this- lively?"

Jordan snickered, "Always, although normally they're in agreement," he continued in an overly dramatic whisper, " Personally I suspect they might be hamming up for your amusement"

"OI"

"We are not-"

"That's a pack of lies, that is-"

"This is a completely serious discussion!"

Jo dissolves helplessly into giggles, and wonders if Hogwarts might not end up being as terrible as she thought.

_Welp that's the start of the rewrite. I have a big story plot all the way though, hmmm book six? And a lot of smaller scenes sketched out, but not much of buffer to speak of. Not sure if I'll get much done/posted before the semester's over, I've got a bunch of Uni work, but I'm actually fairly satisfied with the flow of the story so far. The original intro felt a bit too contrived. _

_This is un-Beta'd, so if there are any typos- shoot me a message._

_Anyway lemme know what you think!_

_-Marina Silvus_


End file.
